Post-Tropical Cyclone Helene Leaves Trail of Destruction Across Southeastern U.S.
Helene, which has now weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, has wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States, causing billions of dollars in damage and leaving over three million residents without power as the weekend approaches.
The storm made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region, bringing winds of up to 140 mph. It rapidly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, uprooting trees, damaging homes, and causing rivers to overflow, leading to serious flooding and strained dams.
Western North Carolina has been particularly hard hit, with landslides and flooding cutting off access to the region. Interstate 40 and other major roads have been closed due to the treacherous conditions. In a dramatic rescue operation in rural Unicoi County, East Tennessee, dozens of patients and staff were airlifted from a hospital surrounded by floodwaters.
The National Hurricane Center reports that Helene is expected to linger over the Tennessee Valley through the weekend, with several flood warnings still in effect for parts of the southern and central Appalachians. High wind warnings have also been issued for areas in Tennessee and Ohio. Tragically, at least 44 fatalities have been reported across several states, including three firefighters and a woman and her one-month-old twins.
In North Carolina, evacuations were ordered after a lake overtopped a dam, though officials reported no immediate danger of dam failure. Newport, Tennessee, with a population of approximately 7,000, also faced evacuations due to concerns about a nearby dam. Tornadoes spawned by the storm caused critical injuries in Nash County, North Carolina.
Atlanta experienced a record-breaking rainfall of 28.24 centimeters within 48 hours, the highest two-day total since record-keeping began in 1878, according to Georgia’s Office of the State Climatologist. Some neighborhoods were submerged, with only car roofs visible above the floodwaters.
Economic damage estimates range from €13.5 billion to €23.5 billion, according to Moody’s Analytics. Climate change is believed to have exacerbated conditions that allow storms like Helene to rapidly intensify.
In the Big Bend region, where expansive salt marshes and pine flatwoods exist, the storm has left residents like Susan Sauls Hartway searching for their homes. “It’s gone. I don’t know where it’s at. I can’t find it,” she lamented, expressing concern for her community’s future amid rising housing prices.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has deployed over 1,500 workers to assist with rescues and recovery efforts. President Joe Biden expressed his prayers for the survivors, while officials urged residents to avoid floodwaters due to hidden dangers like live wires and debris.
As recovery efforts unfold, North Carolina faces warnings of flooding that could surpass anything seen in the past century, with officials emphasizing that the impacts of Helene will be felt for many days and weeks to come.
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